Vibration-damping mechanism.



J. G. VINCENT.

VIBRATION DAMPING, MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1915.

1,234,978. Patented July 31, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

JESSE G. -VINCENT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR COM:PANY, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VIBRATION DAMPING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn G. VINCENT, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Detroit, Wayne county, State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Vibration-DampingMechanism, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to hydrocarbon motors and particularly tomulti-cylinder hydrocarbon motors in which a long crank shaft isemployed. In such motors, with a flywheel mounted at one end, there issometimes set up in the crank shaft what may be termed eriodic torsionalvibration, or torsional vi ration which occurs at or around one or;moreparticular speeds of the motor, due torone or more of the explosions inthe cylinders synchronizing in point of time with the natural vibrationperiods of the crankshaft. This vibration is transferred to the frai'neor base of the motor through the reciprocating parts of the latter andbecomes objectionable particularly when it occurs at 25 high speed. Thepresent invention has for its salient object the provision of means fordamping out or reducing such vibrations,

and while but one form of the invention is shown and described it willbe understood that this is illustrative only and various modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Broadly, the invention consists of the combination, of a motor crankshaft having the usual rigid flywheel and another flywheelconnected tothe crank shaft by an overrunning clutch, and the objects of theinvention will be clearly understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the 4.0 drawings which form a part hereof, andin which Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of a motor embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the smaller flywheel andoverrunning clutch; and

Fig. 3 is a part section and part elevation view, approximately on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the crank case of a motor and onthis crank case a plurality of cylinders 11 are arranged In Fig. 1 ofthe drawings I have shown $11: of the cylinders 11, but it will beunderstood that the invention is in no wise limited to a Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.;

Application filed September 10, 1915. Serial No. 49,927.

six-cylinder motor and may be applied to a motor having any preferrednumber of cylinders. A crank shaft 12 is supported in suit- I ablebearings 13 in the crank case and is provided'with cranks 1 1, therebeing a crank for each of the cylinders 11, and the connecting rods 15are operatively connected with the cranks 14 whereby the usual pistonsin the cylinders 11 are adapted to rotate the shaft 12. Any suitablenumber of 'bearings'65 13 may be provided.

In order to balance the variations in power applied to the crank shaftby the pistons it is customary to mount on one end of the crank shaft aflywheel such as is indicated at 16. In the particular embodiment of theinvention shown the flywheel 16 is bolted to a flange 17 on the crankshaft and carries a clutch casing indicate at 18. A clutch shaft isshown at 19 and it will be understood that any suitable form of clutchwill be provided for operatively connecting the casing 17 with the shaft19 in order to transmit the'power of the motor to the shaft. Themechanism thus far described is commonly used and my improvementsconsists in mechanism applied to the opposite end of the crank shaft,from the flywheel 16, for the purpose of damping the vibrations abovereferred to.

Mounted upon the end of the crank shaft remote from the flywheel 16 is agear 20 for driving the usual cam shaft and other auxiliary mechanism ofthe motor. Also mounted at this end of the crank shaft is the vibrationdamper which consists principally of an inner or flange member 21 and anouter or inertia member 22. The member 21 is shown as keyed to the crankshaft as by the key 23, and this member and'the gear 20 are retained onthe shaft by a nut 24, said nut in thepresent instance also beingprovided with clutch teeth 25 for the usual starting crank.

Said irmer member 21 is formed with a c lindrical surface 26, upon whichthe hub 2 of the outer member or flywheel 22 is rotatably mounted. Awasher 28 retains the flywheel in position and is itself'removablysecured to the inner member 21 as by the screws 29.

The flywheel member 22 is formed with I an internal c lindrical-surface30 which surrounds the a '31 of the inner member and said flange isformed with several tangential grooves 32, in which rollers 33 are ada'ed operate. The wall of each of these grooves 32 is so formed that theroller therein will fit loosely in the deepest of the grown, but willwedged in between said tall nd the interior cylindrical wall 30 of thefwheel 22 when the latter is rotating in one direction. spring devicepresses against each of the rollers 83 to force the latter yieldingly incontact with the Cf" lindrical surface 80. There is also a lubrieatingroller 85 for each of the rollers 33, which roller 35 is formed ofsuitable absorbent material, and soaked with oil.

From the above description, it will be erident that if the crank shaft12 and consequently the inner member 21 is rotating in the direction ofthe arrow a in Fig. 3, the rollers will be jammed or wedged in betweenthe surfaces 32 and 30, and the flywheel 22 will be carried around withthe member Should themember then be suddenly stopped or slowed down, theinertia of the flywheel 22 would tend to continue to rotate it. and asthere would then be no wedging action of the roller 33, the flywheel 22would run ahead of the inner member 21 and be brought to rest slowly byfriction. Thus, also, if the crank shaft 12 during its rotation, shouldvibrate torsionally, there would be a quick repetition of this clutchingand unclutching of the roller 33 and because of the asynchronous actionof the flywheel 22 with relation to the inner member 21. the torsionalibrations of the latter would be damped out.

Haring thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to'secure byLetters Patent is i'- 1. In a multi-cylinder hydrocarbon motor, incombination, a crank shaft having a plurality of cranks, a flywheelrigidly secured in combination, a crank shaft having a pluadj'acent oneend of said shaft, and another flywheel connected to the other end ofsaid shaft by an o errunning' clutch.

2. In a multi-cylinder hydrocarbon motor,

rality of cranks. a flywheel rigidly secur adjacent one end of saidshaft, and another flywheel connected to said shaft remote fromthe-first flywheel by an o errunning clutch 3, In a inulti-cylinderhydrocarbon motor, in combination, a crankshaft having a plurality ofcranks, a flywheel rigidly secured adjacent one end of said shaft, and asmalle flywheel connected to said shaft adjacent other end by anorerrunning clutch.

l-. in a multi-cylinder hydrocarbon motor, in combination, a crank shafthaving a plurality of cranks. a flywheel rigidly secured adjacent oneend of said shaft, a smaller ilywheel, and an o errunning clutchconnection between said shaft and said smaller flywheel.

5. The combination with the crank shaft of a hydrocarbon motor, of aninertia member surrounding a part of said shaft, and an o errunningclutch connection between said shaft and said inertia member.

6. The combination with the crank shaft of a hydrocarbon motor, of aninertia member mounted co-axial withsaid shaft and surrounding a part ofsaid shaft, and an o errunning clutch connection between said shaft andsaid inertia member.

7. T he combination with the crank shaft of a hydrocarbon motor. of aflywheel mounted to rotate relative thereto and surrounding a part ofsaid shaft. and a roller clutch connection between said shaft and saidwheel whereby the wheel is adapted to run by momentum faster than theshaft.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

JESSE G. VINCENT.

